The Cleveland Browns signed cornerback Nik Needham on Monday, which is potentially bad news for Greg Newsome.
Needham was orginally signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He has played his entire career for the Dolphins, appearing in 63 career games with 27 starts. Needham has recorded 199 career tackles, six interceptions, 25 passes defensed, three sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Needham has played a lot of nickel corner with the Dolphins. That’s a role Newsome has recently held down with the Browns, with Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson Jr. playing on the outside. The move could set Cleveland up to trade Newsome around the draft if they’re looking to move up or add additional picks.
Browns CB Greg Newsome Not New to Trade Rumors
Getty Images| Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome has been mentioned as a trade candidate previously.
Newsome is no stranger to trade rumors. He’s been a constant in trade discussions and is heading into the final year of his rookie deal with the Browns. By dealing Newsome the Browns could get $13 million off their books and get value back for a player who may not be long for Cleveland.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently labeled Newsome as a player who could be “deemed expendable” around the draft. Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports also recently highlighted Newsome as a potential trade candidate for the Browns.
“He’s getting $13.3 million on his fifth-year option this year, and suffered through a difficult 2024 season, so moving him might not be easy. He had hamstring surgery last July, then struggled and lost his job early in the season, only to end up missing the last four games when the hamstring flared up again,” Vacchiano said. “Still, he’s a 24-year-old former first-round pick who had three decent NFL seasons. He doesn’t have a future in Cleveland, but cornerbacks are hard to find, so someone might be willing to take a chance.”
Browns on the Clock With No. 2 Overall Pick
The Browns hold the No. 2 pick in the draft and could go in a few different directions with the selection. Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter is currently the favorite on to go second-overall and has expressed a desire to play both cornerback and wide receiver at the NFL-level.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry sounds open to the idea but would be “smart” with the Heisman winner.
“I think one of the things you can’t probably fully appreciate until you actually see Travis play live is just his elite conditioning. Seeing him play at Colorado, he really never comes off the field. And it’s unbelievable because, there are more plays in a college game than there is a pro game,” Berry said. “That being said, what he would attempt to do has not been really done in our league, but we wouldn’t necessarily put a cap or a governor in terms of what he could do. We would want to be smart in terms of how we started him out. I think I’ve mentioned before, we would see his first home as receiver and his second home on the defensive side of the ball.”
Other players under consideration by the Browns include quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter.
